Heroic Traits: A Bestselling Author’s Guide

In this episode of "Heroic Traits: a bestselling author's guide," Matt and Billy discuss the concept of hard work and the importance of putting the right amount of effort into mastering a skill. They explore how focusing on the process of learning and embracing failure can help overcome fear and self-doubt.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“‘Be your own Mentor’, Dante grips his shoulder, a little tighter, ‘trust me, it's possible’” In the sixth episode of Season 2, Matt and Billy dive into one of the many popular highlighted quotes from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series. This episode of the podcast delves into the themes of mentorship, family, and the personal flaws of individuals through the fictional journey of the Dante Jacoby character. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"A bandaid only delays the problem, worsening it if left untreated. Stitches are painful upfront, but necessary for True healing."  In the fifth episode of Season 2, Matt and Billy dive into one of the many popular highlighted quotes from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series. This episode of the podcast delves into the themes of self-improvement, obligation, and productivity through the fictional journey of the Dante Jacoby character.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Dante's experience with modern gangsters is that they're opportunists, flexible with their words to suit their own selfish interests. They will use one of these moral codes to justify their actions, but as soon as the same goat has negative implications on their lifestyle, they'll discard it like it's paper mache. Words are empty."  In the fourth episode of Season 2, Matt and Billy dive into one of the many popular highlighted quotes from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series. This episode of the podcast delves into the themes of morals, challenges, and the prices of promises through the fictional journey of the Dante Jacoby character.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“How someone lives their life is obvious, if you would only pay attention" In the third episode of Season 2, Matt and Billy dive into one of the many popular highlighted quotes from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series. This episode of the podcast delves into the themes of distraction, paying attention, and cherishing life through the fictional journey of the Dante Jacoby character.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Sharpening your mind, makes you realize how much time you have, if only you would use it properly” In the second episode of Season 2, Matt and Billy dive into one of the many popular highlighted quotes from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series. This episode of the podcast delves into the themes of distraction, self-discovery, and the importance of challenging your mind through the fictional journey of the Dante Jacoby character.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dante’s chasing discomfort, as relentlessly and insatiably as he used to chase immediate gratification.” In the first episode of Season 2, hosts Matt and Billy dive into the first of many popular highlights from Double Life, Book 2 of the Dante Jacoby Series, unpacking themes of transformation, addiction, and the Stoic concept of "moderation in all things." Learn why finding a balance between two extremes is so important to long-term prosperity.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Two thousand years ago, Marcus Aurelius writes, The obstacle in the path becomes the path" How can obstacles lead to a new path? Marcus Aurelius' philosophy seems paradoxical at first, but his philosophy teaches Dante that when a path becomes blocked, a better path is paved. In the season finale, Matt breaks down the life lessons behind Dante’s transformation that can serve readers in their own life. This episode includes a sneak peek into some of the challenges Dante experiences in the sequel, Double Life, which Matt and Billy will unpack in Season 2.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“If you’re attacked hard, counterattack harder. Early success or failure has a compounding effect. Whoever gets the upper hand in the first few seconds almost always wins”.  Dante needs to learn to physically counterattack to survive. For us, cultivating a counterattack is more nuanced. We can’t hide from conflict or react outwardly to negative situations, but we can choose how to respond. This week’s podcast sees Matt share his insights and experiences on how to meet negativity with positivity and the power of the compound effect. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The method is simple, the execution less so. Three hour-long sessions a day, separated by as much rest as time will allow, assisted by a mandatory ten hours sleep a night. No single effort - whether it be running, calisthenics, Olympic lifts, or yoga – is overwhelming. He’s been given direct orders to carry out each sessions at a moderate intensity. But the overall workload is astonishing, crippling almost. Obelisk wrote, Be consistently good, not occasionally great. This week’s podcast is about productivity and success. While we can’t always optimise our lives, we can reframe how we can achieve tasks. Finding time to achieve output shouldn’t be overwhelming, as many small wins can compound. Join Matt and Billy Bentley as they chat about optimum efficiency and why it’s important in our lives as well as Dante’s. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Hold the line. It takes tremendous, sickening effort to break inertia, but once you do you’ll be astonished it was so simple. You must do what others won’t. Everyone dives into a new routine head-first, and most last a couple of days at best. If you miss a single task you set for yourself in the first hundred days, it’s all over. If you make it out the other side, the world awaits.”How do we break the cycle of inactivity and bad habits? Inertia is the idea that things will stay the same unless a change occurs. We have all experienced inertia at some point in our lives, of ‘feeling lazy’, quitting a new health regime, or even writer’s block. Unfortunately, the only way to overcome inertia - that feeling of being stuck - is to shock yourself into motion. Matt unpacks this week's quote and discusses how to break inertia, confront and build motivation, and why heroes, like Dante Jacoby, inspire us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Obelisk wrote that down. One of the fundamental understandings. The world is a mirror. You see your reflection in everything.” Matt and Billy continue on from last week’s episode of ‘Heroic Traits’ as they explore how ‘the mirror’s’ reflection can lead to the inevitable wake up call. This realisation provides the catalyst for Dante’s transformation. It also allowed Matt to subvert the action hero trope, as he makes his hero experience the messy reality of violence for the first time. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“The world is a mirror, you see your reflection in everything.”  Matt discusses his creation of “the blueprint” in Be Somebody, in which a mentor figure provides Dante with a written framework on how to rid himself of his bad habits. By discussing the fundamentals of the blueprint and how they can be applied in everyday life, Matt unpacks how the way we see ourselves can bless or taint our view of the world around us. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“He’s learned the brain is just another pliable muscle. You can make it do anything. At all times a Marcus Aurelius quote sits in his mind: If it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.”  Continuing on from last week’s episode of ‘Heroic Traits’, Matt and Billy transition from perseverance to potential. They discuss how our potential is affected by outside forces, which gears us to focus on the negative. It is this need for perfection in all that we do that stops us from doing the things we are passionate about. Matt applies the ideas around moving towards discomfort and uses them as inspiration for his stories. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“He’s learned the brain is just another pliable muscle. You can make it do anything. At all times a Marcus Aurelius quote sits in his mind: If it is humanly possible, consider it to be within your reach.”  In this week’s episode of ‘Heroic Traits'' Matt explores the teachings of the Roman emperor and Stoic philosopher, Marcus Aurelius. Dante Jacoby becomes the catalyst by which Matt can explore the idea that, no matter your natural talent, most of what constitutes success is within your control. This realisation for Matt was what enabled him to discover his authentic voice as a writer. Join Matt and Billy Bentley this week as they explore the ideas around perseverance. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“He doesn’t believe in fate. He believes things happen to people, mostly at random, and it’s their choice whether they frame it as positive or negative."    Matt dives deeper into the philosophy of stoicism in this sophomore episode of “Heroic Traits” as he breaks down a popular highlight on the subject of fate. Is it beneficial to believe in the idea of fate, or does it harm us? If so, how? Join Matt and Billy this week as they explore these complicated questions … with surprising results.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The antidote to uncertainty is action. Gently, effortlessly, put one foot in front of the other. Almost everything you think only serves to keep you where you are. We are risk-averse creatures."  Matt unpacks this quote in a series of popular highlights praised by readers of his latest series. Discover the connection between the extreme life of the series’ hero, Dante Jacoby, and Matt’s own framework for approaching his career at such a young age. From learning from your critics to deconstructing the ‘band-aid’ approach to accelerating personal growth: it’s all covered in the debut episode of “Heroic Traits”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matt Rogers new podcast, Heroic Traits: A Best-Selling Author’s Guide, will explore themes of revelation and personal discovery through the lens of fictional storytelling. Joined by host Billy Bentley, Matt discusses the confronting nature of the self-publishing industry, crafting an engaging protagonist, and how writers can learn from their critics to become successful authors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.